


Echoes

by mag_lex



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Doctor!Whump, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I'm not that cruel, Implied/Referenced Torture, Smut, softGays, technically someone will die but not for too long, thasmin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-01 04:42:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17237624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mag_lex/pseuds/mag_lex
Summary: When the team receive a signal from an unknown planet, they find themselves in serious trouble.Can they escape and, more importantly, save the Doctor?





	1. Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Well then...I never can seem to resist writing stuff like this, it seems to be my jam. I hope you enjoy!

The day started like any other in recent memory. Yaz woke up to a faceful of blonde hair and gangly limbs wrapped protectively around her. She spent a few quiet minutes enjoying the embrace, but the Doctor always seemed to know when she was awake and perked up immediately.

"You know, Doctor, not that I'm complaining, but you don't have to spend the whole night in bed," Yaz said, knowing she would get a pout in return.

"But I like this bit, Yaz," the Doctor said, resurrecting the same line she always used. The debate was familiar and comforting. "Besides, I listened to the whole first season of Serial, and practiced my times tables up to 147." Sure enough, there were a pair of earphones lying forgotten in the sheets.

Yaz rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Sometimes I wonder where I'd have found you if you hadn't literally fallen into my life."

The Doctor grinned. "Breakfast?"

"Only if it actually consists of something vaguely breakfast-like, this time," said Yaz, recollecting the Doctor's previous attempt to introduce jelly and ice cream into the breakfast repertoire.

"So boring, Yaz, but I'll see what I can do."

Yaz sighed happily as she watched the Doctor spring out of bed, ever the morning person, and straight out of the door before Yaz could say another word. So she debated brushing her teeth, before considering that breakfast would be approximately 85% sugar and conceding that she even enjoyed brushing her teeth with the other woman next to her. _Who needs sugar when I'm this sappy_.

The Doctor returned with a bowl and presented it with a flourish, upon which Yaz giggled when she saw it contained nothing other than trifle.

"What?" The Doctor seemed genuinely bemused. "I'm pretty sure there's one of your five a day in there."

"It's not that, Doctor," Yaz laughed, "more the fact that you just popped to the kitchen completely starkers. I'm guessing there was no sign of the others?"

The Doctor looked down and blushed. "Oh...er...thankfully not." She clambered back into bed, allowing Yaz to feed her spoonfuls of trifle. "Best meal of the day," she grinned. They barely made it through the bowl before breakfast was cast aside and Yaz found herself very thankful that the Doctor had decided to forego clothes.

\----------

It was hard to tell whether the Doctor was on a sugar high or if she was just being her usual self, but Graham noticed a rather obvious spring in her step as the four of them left the TARDIS that morning. The TARDIS had received a signal from a planet the Doctor had never visited before, which in itself was unusual, but Graham didn't think he'd ever seen her like this, new planet or not.

"What's got you so happy, Doc?"

"Me? Oh, you know...new planet, mystery signal to investigate, spending some quality time with my fam - what more could I need?" The Doctor flashed a smile at Yaz and breathed in deeply, hands on hips, as she took stock of their destination.

"But...it's raining," said Ryan, looking rather miserable. If she was being honest, the Doctor hadn't actually noticed. Her hair had started to curl in the damp air but she had been too wrapped up in her thoughts of how the morning had started.

"Bit of rain never hurt anyone!" She beamed, and Ryan glanced at Yaz to see the exact same expression mirrored on her face. _What is going on_.

"Look, over there," said Graham, pointing at a sleek, low-rise building hunkered into the side of a cliff. They were by the coast, and the sea air was refreshing but also making them all rather soggy. "Why don't we get inside and dry off for a bit?"

The Doctor pulled out her sonic and frowned at the readings. "I think this might be where the signal was coming from. Let's check it out."

She led the way, and Graham didn't fail to notice that Yaz hurried to catch her up, leaving himself and Ryan behind. Ryan raised an eyebrow at him, but he ignored the unspoken question, filing away his observations for future reference.

\----------

The sonic got them inside without any difficulty - there was a door for once, much to Ryan's delight - but their hopes sank when they realised the building seemed to be abandoned. There was low-level emergency lighting, at least, but not much else. The Doctor found a console with a map of the complex and considered her options.

"Since we seem to be the only ones here, and this building is actually massive, it might be good to split up," she said, and Yaz nodded quickly in agreement.

"Let me guess...me and Ryan?" Said Graham, smiling to show that he was only teasing.

"Well...now that you mention it..."

Graham laughed. "No worries, Doc, you leave us to it and we'll see what we can find."

After the boys had headed off, Yaz took the opportunity to reach for the Doctor's hand, interlinking their fingers as she pulled her in for a gentle kiss.

"What was that for?" The Doctor said, as they separated.

"For keeping me with you," said Yaz. "And for another truly delicious breakfast." She grinned as she pulled the Doctor in by her suspenders.

They were so wrapped up in one another that neither noticed movement down the hall until it was too late. Apparently the residents of this planet had some pretty nifty camouflage because one minute they were alone, and the next Yaz was shouting in alarm as an alien face suddenly appeared behind the Doctor. She barely had time to take another breath before her world went black.

\----------

It didn't take Ryan long to get to the point.

"Do you think...you know...that they're...?" Ryan left the question open-ended, but Graham knew exactly what he was getting at. He raised an eyebrow.

"If they have any sense, yes," he said, simply.

Ryan nodded. "Far out."

They walked in silence for a minute or so, while both figured out what this latest development meant for their time-travelling team.

"Do you think-"

"Shhhh," said Graham, suddenly. Something had caught his eye, further down the hallway. He had always been observant on their travels and took great pride in picking up on things that the Doctor could sometimes miss in her excitement. He raised a hand, gesturing for Ryan to stop walking, as he ushered them both back against the wall.

Both of the men flinched as a figure suddenly became apparent. They were definitely not alone, and the very fact that this alien had been hiding itself did not bode well for its intentions. Either it was hiding in self-defence or it was malicious, and Graham always preferred to err on the side of caution. They watched as another figure appeared, seemingly out of thin air, and Graham broke out in a cold sweat. How many of them were there? They were lucky they hadn't been spotted, and Graham was worried for the other members of their team. The Doctor wasn't always a subtle presence.

He could feel Ryan struggling to stay still behind him, and both let out a sigh of relief as the two figures moved further down the hall, still visible.

"Right, son," he whispered. "We have two choices. We either go the same way as them or in the opposite direction."

Ryan blew out his cheeks as he considered their options. Neither sounded appealing but given they could see those two aliens, at least, it made the most sense to him to follow them and see where they were going. Perhaps there would be others there, or they would lead them to something helpful.

"Let's follow 'em," he said, feeling brave. Graham nodded, and they made their way cautiously down the hall.

\----------

Yaz awoke suddenly. Coming around this time wasn't as fun as it had been earlier that morning. She was alone, on a cold stone floor, in a room not much bigger than her bedroom back home. Sans bed.

She struggled for a minute to remember how she'd got there. Then the memory came flashing back, and with it, sudden panic.

"Doctor?" She shouted, grimacing as her voice echoed around the empty room. Gingerly, she touched the back of her head and was relieved that her fingers came away blood-free. Finally, she pushed herself up off the floor, before a wave of dizziness hit her and she slumped against the wall to get her bearings.

"Shit."


	2. Hidden

If the Doctor had been conscious, she would have been similarly unhappy with her current situation. As it was, she was swaying slightly, chin on her chest, toes barely touching the ground. Her arms were pulled up painfully by a pair of very strong manacles attached to the ceiling. The kind that sonic screwdrivers struggled to deal with. Stubborn metal.

If the Doctor had been conscious, she would have felt the burn of her shoulders as they bore the weight of her body. If she had been awake, she would been very annoyed at the situation she'd got them into. But for a few more moments, at least, she was blissfully unaware.

\----------

Ryan crouched behind a crate as he and Graham watched the two aliens stop and examine a touch screen on the wall. They seemed to have found a control centre of a kind, going by the number of screens and panels embedded in the walls. Thankfully there were no doors to bypass, so they'd ventured closer to try and make out what was going on.

It turned out that TARDIS translations only worked when the Doctor had encountered that particular language before. He and Graham were none the wiser as they eavesdropped on what sounded like insects talking. They didn't look like insects at least - Ryan hated bugs - but they certainly didn't look like anything he had seen before. These particular aliens had large, square heads, no hair, and the creepiest eyes he'd ever seen: these were actually almost human, in size and shape, but completely black. The colour complimented their purple scales, which formed the exoskeleton of a very solid-looking body that must have been at least 6 and a half feet tall. The only thing Ryan could make out for sure was a square patch of metal they wore around their necks, which seemed to control their cloaking device.

He frowned at Graham, frustrated that they were no closer to understanding where they were or who they were looking at. Graham gestured to his neck, and Ryan nodded. Their lives would be a lot easier if they could move around unseen. Or talk. Ryan looked around the sparse room, wondering if they could overpower the aliens, but Graham nudged him, tapping his own head.

 _Brain power_.

Ryan had to admit that Graham had a point. They had no idea how fast or strong these aliens were, or where Yaz and the Doctor were. He hunkered down to alleviate the burning in his legs as they bided their time, watching and learning.

\-----------

Yaz was nodding off when a distant shout jolted her awake. It was so brief and so far-off that she thought she'd imagined it. A few seconds later, though, she heard it again. Her stomach felt like she'd swallowed lead. She stood up, walking over to the door of the cell and placing her ear against the cold metal. All she could hear was the gentle hum of electricity and her own breaths, so she held them for a second, struggling to make out any other noises, when she heard it again.

Although she didn't hear any words, Yaz could hear the tone of this one, and it did not sound happy. It also sounded female. She started to feel nauseous. _That must be the Doctor._

She wondered where Graham and Ryan were, if they were with the Doctor, helping her, or if she was on her own. Were they coming to find Yaz? She had no idea, and all sorts of possibilities flitted through her mind as she desperately tried to listen in.

The next sound made her blood run cold. Yaz had never heard a scream like it, no matter how brief, and she knew without a doubt that the Doctor was in trouble.

Flummoxed and not thinking clearly, she started to bang her hands on the door, ignoring the pain that shot up her arms as she slammed her palms on the metal, again and again. She was angry, and scared, and suddenly very worried for her Doctor.

"Hey! You leave her alone, you bastards!"

Nothing. Another scream, quieter this time.

Yaz continued to take out her frustrations on the door, desperate to get to the other woman and make sure she was okay. She scanned the room for the umpteenth time to see if there was any escape. Panic flooded her mind as she realised she was truly trapped, alone, and that they were probably all in quite a lot of danger.

\----------

Graham almost jumped up when he heard the Doctor's shout. He barely remembered to stay down, putting a hand out to stop Ryan doing the same. They looked at each other, eyes wide.

The aliens had now moved over to a screen in the centre of the room and had pulled up footage of what looked like a holding cell. In it was the Doctor, hanging by her wrists, pulling and twisting against the restraints as she hung there, eyes screwed shut in pain. They waited for someone else to step into frame but after a few minutes, it became apparent that the Doctor was on her own.

Ryan looked away as she screamed again. Another screen was full of images that moved too fast for Graham to decipher, faces and people and places that flickered in and out of view, technologies and planets he had never seen before. It was like someone was pressing fast-forward on a DVD, except this was no film - they were snippets of a life. Realisation hit like a brick wall. Were they watching the Doctor's memories? How were they doing this?

The bombardment was intense and Graham wanted nothing more than to shut his eyes, but his friend needed his help. So he watched as she struggled for endless minutes, feeling himself grow weary as the images finally started to slow, and the Doctor grew quieter. He was relieved when someone else eventually stepped into the frame.

The alien had its back to the camera but Graham could see it was the same species as the two beings they were sharing a room with. Its scales glinted in the harsh spotlight of the room the Doctor was in, and as it moved to one side, Graham could see the cloaking device around its neck. He had to pinch himself to believe what happened next.

The alien had touched the Doctor's temple, and started slowly pulling out a long, thin needle. Ryan picked the wrong moment to look back at the screen and retched as he saw it being pulled out of the Doctor's brain.

"Easy, son," Graham whispered in sympathy, rubbing his shoulder as he turned away again.

Once the needle was removed, the Doctor slumped over, seemingly unconscious. Graham breathed a sigh of relief that it was over, for now, at least. But what they'd seen made him rather impatient to get this whole waiting game over and done with. He clenched his fists; there was no use in letting rage win, but they needed to find a quicker solution.

\----------

Yaz quickly dried her eyes as she heard movement approaching the door. As it came closer, she could hear the sound of something being dragged. She had a good feeling she knew what that was.

She stood up, adrenaline making her ready to fight as soon as the door opened, but when it did, all strength left her body. Yaz could only watch as the Doctor was dragged into the room by her feet, could only observe as she saw these aliens up close for the first time. She was taken aback by their size and appearance, but quickly got over her surprise and glared at the alien guarding the door.

"What have you done to her?" She demanded, voice strong and clear. The two creatures looked at one another before leaving them alone, slamming the door behind them.

"Rude," Yaz said, before landing on her knees beside the blonde woman. She seemed relatively unharmed, if the lack of blood or broken bones was anything to go by, but there was a vicious bruise on her temple, and she was as pale as a ghost. Yaz plopped down on the floor by the wall, manoeuvering the Doctor so that she could rest her head in her lap.

Suddenly the world was awfully fuzzy and Yaz only realised she was crying when tear drops landed on the Doctor's face.

"Oh, Doctor, what did they do to you?" She whispered, feeling terribly alone and unsure of what to do. She smoothed blonde hair away from the Doctor's forehead, taking solace in the fact that she was still breathing and apparently intact. Her face looked almost peaceful, ignoring the slight frown that graced her features.

"I swear, I'm going to get you out of here, Doctor," Yaz said, angrily wiping her tears away. It was just that, right at this moment in time, she had no bloody clue how she was going to do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! Thought I'd start mine with some angst :)


	3. Echoes

When the Doctor eventually came to, it was obvious something wasn't right.

"Clara?" She said, so quietly that Yaz almost didn't hear her.

"What was that?"

"Clara, you shouldn't be here," said the Doctor, squinting at a point just over Yaz's shoulder. Yaz knew there was nobody there but she still looked behind her, just in case. Of course, there was nobody there, and Yaz worried at her lip with her teeth.

"Doctor, are you alright?"

The Doctor closed her eyes and groaned.

"What happened?" She whispered, bringing up a hand to touch the side of her head and hissing when probing fingertips encountered the bruise. "Ow."

Yaz grasped her questing fingers, stilling them. "You have a cracking bruise but other than that I'm not sure. I've been in here since..." She trailed off.

"Oh. The signal...we found a signal and came here, out of the rain."

Yaz nodded. It was taking the Doctor a bit longer than usual to grasp the situation. She bit her lip, waiting for her to catch up.

"Are you okay?" The Doctor finally asked, her eyes scanning Yaz before struggling to sit up. Her shoulders and wrists were incredibly stiff and sore but she needed to be upright to think straight.

"I'm fine, I promise,"' said Yaz, helping her lean against the wall. "They gave me a knock on the head but other than that, they've left me alone. You were gone for a few hours, I think."

The Doctor nodded slowly.

"I have no idea who these people are but they are up to no good. I can tell they've been messing with my head," she said, shoulders slumping. "I hate when people do that."

Yaz raised a palm to touch the Doctor's cheek.

"Look at me a sec?" She asked, noticing that the Doctor's eyes weren't focusing. They were drifting around the room, as if she was seeing things that weren't there.

"What do you see?"

The Doctor was silent for a moment, struggling to figure out what was real and what wasn't. Her memories seemed to be made flesh, and they were taunting her just by being there. The familiar faces were the worst, all of them like a stab in the hearts.

"So many things, Yaz," she gasped, her eyes closing in defeat as a stray tear slid down her pale cheek. Yaz brushed it away with her thumb, kissing her on the forehead and then the lips, trying to reassure her.

"We're getting out of here, love," she murmured, guiding the Doctor to rest her head on her shoulder. "Just hold on."

She had to trust that the boys knew what they were doing.

\----------

Graham and Ryan knew their patience had paid off when one of the aliens finally left the room. Two against one were more promising odds.

"Graham," he hissed, "pass me that...thing." He had no idea what it was, some kind of heavy-looking container that was probably empty, but it would have to do. Armed, he started to creep towards the figure, careful with his footsteps. Graham kept an eye out for the other alien as he followed, ready to use his fists if necessary.

Swiftly, Ryan raised the cylinder, bringing it down with a satisfying crack on the alien's head. He had to stop himself shouting out as the alien collapsed instantly. He reached for the cloaking device, ready to put it on, when he heard Graham shout.

"Shit!"

The other alien had come back and was striding over quickly, uttering something in its unusual language. Graham shrugged and put up his fists, like a boxer.

"Come on then, cockle, I've been waiting to do this."

Ryan slipped the device over his neck and slammed his palm on it, hoping it would work. He had no idea - there was no indication it had turned on - but he needed to help Graham, and quickly. He picked up the cylinder, ready for round two, as Graham faced off against the hulking figure.

With a shout, Ryan swung the metal again, whooping as the alien sank like a stone.

"Two for two!" He shouted, brandishing his weapon in the air. He grinned at the look on Graham's face.

For his part, all Graham could see was an object floating in mid-air.

"Ryan?" He whispered, his jaw dropping.

"Oh, yeah." Ryan touched the device, beaming at his granddad. "This is mint. You should take that one," he gestured at the second body.

Graham wasted no time in equipping himself with his very own device, activating it to check it was working.

"Do you think the Doc would let us keep these?" He asked, in awe at the cleverness of the technology.

"Maybe...we just keep this one to ourselves, eh?"

Graham had to agree that she probably wouldn't be impressed with their mementoes.

Ryan made his way over to the console, prodding at it to flick through the various camera feeds that seemed to be streaming in from all over the complex. Graham was always impressed with his aptitude for technology and peered over his shoulder.

"What is this place?" He breathed, skipping between the feeds of empty holding cells, vast warehouses of crates like the ones they'd hidden behind, even barracks of empty beds. "And where is everyone?"

"Wait! Go back," said Graham, sure he'd seen movement.

Ryan scrolled back as best he could and leant back from the screen when he landed on a feed from Yaz's cell. She and the Doctor were talking, it seemed, and the Doctor was at least able to hold a conversation, which was a good sign, and then their heads were moving closer together and then - he knew where this was going, he could tell from the body language - they were kissing.

Ryan felt his face turn bright red and he spun away, feeling like he was intruding.

"Oh, well, er..."

Ryan had to laugh at Graham being lost for words. And he was so very relieved to see them again, especially since they hadn't seen Yasmin in hours.

"Come on, granddad." He nudged him in the ribs. "Help me figure out where they are."

\----------

Yaz gently pushed the Doctor back against the wall, ensuring she was upright, before getting to her feet. She could hear their captors coming back and she was more prepared this time. There was no way they were going to take her Doctor.

As the door swung open she readied her stance, standing protectively in front of the Doctor.

"Don't, Yaz," the Doctor said, trying feebly to get to her feet as well.

Yaz ignored her.

"You'll have to go through me first," she said, equal parts rage and fear making her blood boil. She braced herself as the first alien came towards her, gearing up to swing out her fist, but as she did so it smacked her in the face so hard that she saw stars. She staggered, hearing the Doctor say her name, but did not fall. She couldn't fall. Yaz could taste blood in her mouth and it made her even more determined to at least try and protect the other woman. _The woman I love._

Refusing to be intimidated, she tried again, but the force of the punch this time completely floored her. Her ears rung as she watched the Doctor being dragged from the cell, stumbling over her own feet. As she glanced back at Yaz, the younger woman saw resignation in her eyes, and it felt like she'd been punched in the stomach rather than the face.

"Don't give up," she wheezed. "Please, stay with me."

As the door slammed shut again, Yaz finally let herself be enveloped in peaceful darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got a bit carried away and ended up writing two chapters. This is fun! Hope you guys enjoy :)


	4. Resistance

"Yaz?"

Ryan was calling out as loud as he dared. He and Graham were, thankfully, hidden from plain sight thanks to their borrowed technology, but they didn't want to risk discovery. They still had no idea if they were truly alone, and the echoes of their voices and footsteps still seemed much too loud. It was unnerving that Graham was probably right behind Ryan and they couldn't even see each other.

"Yaz, where are you? Say something."

He was sure they were near, if their joint attempt at navigation was anything to go by. Of course, it was entirely possible they'd ended up down the wrong hallway, because everything looked the same. Same concrete, same boring spotlights at regular intervals, same doors that led nowhere. They were still none the wiser regarding the purpose of this place, other than some kind of prison and torture chamber. Maybe at a later date he'd give a shit, but right now? Right now, he wanted out of here.

"Yaz!"

They made slow progress down the hallway until Ryan was sure they were right outside the room Yaz was in. But they'd heard nothing. He started to feel a little anxious that they weren't going to find her. Graham held up a tentative hand and gently rapped on the door in front of them. He was sure they were right outside the room they needed.

"Yaz? Are you there?"

Still no reply.

They looked at each other, at a loss for what to do. Less than five feet away, Yasmin Khan was passed out cold and dead to the world.

\----------

The Doctor was running.

Her hands trailed through waist-high grass that tickled her fingertips as she breezed through the fronds, laughing and gasping as she struggled to breathe. Something didn't feel right, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Doctor?"

She dropped to the dirt, trying to contain the laughter that suddenly bubbled inside of her chest and threatened to escape at any moment. Her lungs and cheeks burned with delight, but her arms also felt strangely tired.

"Doctor..."

The voice trailed off, drawing out the syllables of her chosen name and sounding mildly displeased that the Doctor remained out of sight. The Doctor shook her head, trying to clear the echoes that plagued the disembodied voice. She lay flush against the ground, using her hands to part the soft grass in front of her. Sure enough, a pair of high heels eventually became visible through the greenery, walking smoothly despite the uneven ground.

The Doctor bided her time until they were a few feet away, then leaped up to surprise her stalker. All of a sudden, she realised she had no idea who she was expecting to see.

When golden-brown curls became apparent, she exhaled in sheer happiness. Or relief. It was hard to tell.

 _River_.

"Hello, sweetie," River purred, and the Doctor realised she had expected nobody else. Placing her hands in her pockets and ducking her head, she cautiously approached the other woman. They hadn't seen each other in a long, long time.

"It's been a while."

"Oh, Doctor," River sighed, running a hand through blonde hair. The Doctor leaned into the touch. "As much as I'd like to stay and chat, you need to wake up."

The Doctor frowned.

"Don't you see? We've never been here, darling. This isn't a memory. Or a dream."

The Doctor looked around. It was true. They could have been in any non-descript field, in any universe. But she stubbornly refused to believe it.

"What do you mean? We've definitely been here before, this is...this is..."

Her brow furrowed in frustration.

"This is..."

"This is not real," River smiled sadly.

The Doctor tutted, frustrated at the speed her brain was working at. It was like she was moving through mud.

"If this isn't real, then where are we?"

River paused, as if she was unsure of how much to divulge.

"Sweetie, this is your mind's way of protecting itself. You're in terrible danger."

As she spoke, the Doctor's attention drifted to the forest behind River, her eyes widening as it seemed to dissolve and re-form instantly. Like it was fluid. She felt River cup her cheek with a warm hand, drawing her attention back to more pressing matters.

"You need to get out of here, my love," she said, and the Doctor felt pins and needles along the side of her face River had touched. Paresthesia. Except this time, it hurt. A lot.

"What-"

She raised a hand to touch the side of her head and her universe imploded.

\----------

Graham winced as a scream echoed down the hall.

"Yaz, if you're there you need to give us a sign," he said, abandoning caution in favour of urgency. Time was running out.

His heart leapt into his throat when they heard quiet movement from behind the door.

"Yaz!"

Ryan started to pound on the door, certain their friend was behind it. It was the first sign of life they'd encountered in a while - it had to be her.

"Yaz, come on, mate."

A cough and, finally, a groan.

"Are you okay?"

"...Ryan?" Came a faint voice. She sounded unsure.

"Yaz, thank god for that. Are you okay? Me and Graham are going to get you out."

"About time," said Yaz, sounding relieved.

"What happened?" Ryan asked, as Graham looked for a way to open the door.

"The Doctor...they have her," she said.

Ryan looked to Graham, who grimaced as another scream echoed down the hall. They knew Yaz had heard it, too, there was no way she couldn't have.

"Yaz, love, we're going to find a way to get you out," said Graham, after a beat of silence.

"I don't know how." Yaz's voice was a lot quieter than before. "Wait, though...they come back with the Doctor, once they're...finished."

Ryan let his eyes shut for a moment as another scream rang out, more muffled this time.

"How many?"

\----------

Graham was too old for this. His heart was pounding loud enough that he could hear it in his eardrums, adrenaline making his arms shake as he tensed them by his sides. The sound of the aliens approaching was getting louder - the sound of their feet, and the body they were dragging.

Ryan had, thankfully, kept hold of his weapon of choice. Graham felt nervous on his behalf but knew Ryan could do what was needed to disable their captors. He'd proven himself capable already and Graham felt a swell of pride at his calmness under pressure.

Once again, Ryan did Graham proud. As soon as the aliens had opened the door, Ryan sprang for the figure guarding the entrance, and Yaz threw herself at the other alien, who was manhandling the Doctor inside the cell. Graham had never seen Yaz so angry, and part of him wanted to stay and watch her in action, but with the situation in hand he fulfilled his part of the plan. He started to sprint down the corridor in the direction the aliens had come from. He needed the information they were gathering from the Doctor, if only to ensure it didn't fall into the wrong hands.

Yaz panted as she leant on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Pure rage had fuelled her, and a slight dash of hatred, which she knew the Doctor wouldn't approve of. But the woman in question was incapacitated at this particular moment in time and she and Ryan swore they would never tell her they'd resorted to violence to get them out.

Yaz dropped to the ground, shocked at the pallor of the other woman.

"Oh my god...Doctor, can you hear me? Please wake up." Her voice cracked as she tried to stay in control.

She raised bloodied knuckles to the Doctor's face, before putting an ear to her mouth to check she was still breathing. A hand snaked to the Doctor's wrist to take her pulse. The movement of her chest was so slight that it took Yaz a good few seconds to confirm she was in fact still alive; her pulse was too weak to detect.

Ryan was taken aback at the appearance of both of them. Yaz looked completely exhausted and like she'd been knocked about, whereas the Doctor...

"Is she-"

"She's alive," Yaz exhaled shakily. "I wish I didn't have to ask, but could you - "

Ryan didn't let her finish, already bending down to scoop up the Doctor and balancing her carefully in his arms. She seemed awfully small.

"She'll be okay," he said, trying to smile at his friend. Really, he was just as worried as Yaz was. They both turned as they heard footsteps slapping down the hall.

Yaz looked terrified for a second, before Graham materialised out of thin air.

"Run," he gasped, pushing them forward.


	5. Hearts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not going to lie, the thought of this chapter has seriously affected my quality of sleep this week. Gonna have to go for a nap now, but I hope you enjoy 🙂

Yaz was glad for police fitness requirements as they dashed through the rain towards the TARDIS. The repeated blows to the head had left her feeling woozy and, if she was honest, feeling pretty crap. But she didn't have time to focus on that now. She could see the Doctor's legs hanging over Ryan's right arm, her head dangling precariously over his left. She really wanted to stop and make sure she was secure, but they had bigger problems.

Graham had not been alone upon his return, brandishing what looked like a long metallic needle. Yaz didn't have time to question it before he pushed them down the hallway, back towards where they hoped was an exit. She could hear feet running behind him but she couldn't see a thing, so she followed his directive without question. She daren't look back in case she realised just how close their pursuers were.

Yaz felt a burst of energy as she laid eyes on the familiar blue box, sprinting ahead of the other two to get the doors open. The Doctor had often joked about giving Yaz her very own key, but she'd never followed through. Slowing herself just in time, Yaz skidded to a halt on the gravel and carefully laid her palms on the solid wood, mirroring the plea of the Doctor on Desolation.

"Please, let us in," she said, trying not to raise her voice.

The polite tone had the desired effect and Yaz risked a glance back as she opened the doors. She wished she hadn't looked. What seemed like forty or so of those creepy aliens were hot on their trail and her eyes widened in fright.

"Hurry!"

Ryan dashed through first, clunking the Doctor's feet off the doorframe, followed by Graham, who slammed the door with a flourish.

"Sorry, sorry," he placated the TARDIS, knowing all too well that she was their ticket out of there.

Ryan, exhausted, had placed the Doctor on the floor for the time being, steadying himself as he caught his breath.

"Never...again..."

Yaz ignored him as she tried to remember what the Doctor had taught her.

\----------

"And that egg timer right there is kind of self-explanatory, really," said the Doctor, pushing down on the custard cream pedal.

Yaz ran her fingers along the switches and buttons with great care. Over their first few weeks, she had watched the Doctor carefully piloting the TARDIS, her movements measured, and knew it was probably much harder than it looked.

"Remind me of the order, again?"

The Doctor grinned, more than happy to have an eager student. Yaz paid little to no attention as she watched the Doctor's skilful hands at work, finding herself entranced by the precise movements and suddenly jealous of an inanimate object.

\----------

Except the TARDIS wasn't inanimate.

As Yaz tried to recollect what she needed to do to get them airborne - or whatever the equivalent was - the TARDIS took pity on her. Tilting the egg timer to the precise angle the Doctor had shown her was a step in the right direction, and Yaz was sure there was more to it than pressing the next button along, but suddenly they were on the move, into the vortex and away. She braced herself against the console, shoulders sagging in relief.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Nice one, Yaz," said Ryan as he walked up to her, giving her a one-armed hug.

She spun around, her next priority suddenly no longer in sight.

"I moved her to her room," said Ryan, and Yaz turned fully to give him a proper hug.

"Thank you, Ryan."

"Any time. Shall we go see her?"

Graham was pulling off the Doctor's boots when they arrived, and Yaz wasted no time in pulling up a chair next to the bed, reaching for one of the Doctor's hands.

"Can I get you anything, Yaz? A cup of tea?"

Graham looked at her with such sympathy that she felt like crying.

"No thanks," she whispered, hoarsely, turning her eyes back to the blonde woman.

He nodded, pulling Ryan with him as they quietly left the room. A cup of tea materialised a few minutes later, left silently at her elbow. Yaz ran a hand over the Doctor's cool forehead.

"You're safe now, Doctor. Please come back to us. To me," she added, quietly.

The Doctor seemed to be in the grip of a nightmare, judging by the random, distressed sounds she was making. Every now and again she would mutter a random word, or a name, and Yaz made a mental note of every single one. There were a lot.

\----------

Ryan opted to keep himself busy and passed the time tinkering with the device Graham had picked up before they escaped. He tried not to shudder as he remembered it being pulled out of the Doctor's skull, and gingerly placed it on top of a glowing pad on the Doctor's workbench. Knowing Ryan had an interest in engineering and technology, the Doctor had introduced him to her workspace, a place not even Yaz knew about. Ryan had treated it with the utmost respect, and now was no different, especially since the Doctor wasn't here to help him.

He cautiously swiped through the screen to the left of him, muttering to himself as he tried to find the right settings. The Doctor had been working on translating the options from Gallifreyan to English, which certainly made things easier.

A chemical structure materialised above the device, projected from a crystal embedded within the bench. That bit never got old, and Ryan was glad the image wasn't something worse. He'd caught flickers of death and destruction while the Doctor was being tortured, and was anxious to avoid seeing more. He needn't have worried; it seemed the TARDIS was censoring things on behalf of her thief. She hummed in the background as Ryan squinted at the compound, reading the translation below.

"A hallucinogen?" He scratched his head. Biochemistry was not his forte, and he skim read the next part about cardiac side-effects. The TARDIS responded as he reached the end of the page, showing him the next one. Now that contact had been made with these aliens, an entry had been started in the TARDIS's internal systems, no doubt for reference in case of future encounters. Ryan sincerely hoped they'd never meet those aliens again.

As he read about the purposes of the device, his stomach sank. From what he could tell, these probes were used to collect information, harvest knowledge from unwilling individuals, essentially scrambling their brains as the barriers between memory and reality broke down. The hallucinogen was a blunt instrument, intended to improve the efficiency of the process, with little regard for the recipient; its chemical structure was similar to a particularly nasty drug used by the Vorax that left their victims barely clinging to reality.

Ryan scrubbed at his eyes. The Doctor would be alright. She had to be. She was one of the strongest people Ryan had ever known, and that included his Nan.

\----------

Yaz had abandoned the pretence of keeping watch over the Doctor, unable to sit still as the other woman deteriorated in front of her very eyes. She'd kicked off her shoes, climbing into her - _their_ \- bed, feeling comforted by the familiar scent and feel of the Doctor's body. Her presence, in turn, seemed to calm the Doctor a bit, as she stopped struggling and started to relax into Yaz's arms.

Yaz whispered into her ear, random thoughts and questions, anything that popped into her head. She kissed the Doctor's brow, feeling the heat of her skin almost burn her lips. She reached over for a cool wash cloth that Graham had just brought in, settling it over the Doctor's forehead.

"That's it," she cooed, happy that the Doctor finally seemed to be getting some rest.

"Amy...I'm so sorry."

The Doctor's eyes were shut, but Yaz didn't miss the lone tear that escaped down her flushed cheek.

"It's okay, Doctor. Don't worry." She wrapped her arms around the Doctor again, her heart in her chest as the litany of names - mainly female names - continued.

"Rory was so lucky to have you, at the end," the Doctor said, her eyes finally open, glassy, and staring right through Yaz. It was slightly frightening to see those usually vibrant, focused eyes so far gone.

"Yes, he was," Yaz whispered, playing along if only to ease her pain. She ran a hand through the Doctor's hair. "Why don't you sleep now, Doctor? Let yourself rest and dream of nicer things."

"Yaz," the Doctor gasped, eyes sliding shut. Her hearts were starting to beat strangely, thundering in her chest, out of sync, and it bloody well hurt. The pain brought her back to reality like a slap in the face.

"I'm here."

"I'm sorry. Please don't let me go," the Doctor ground out as she reached down blindly and grasped Yaz's hand, tight, wincing in pain.

"I never will."

\----------

Graham had joined Ryan in the console room, where they were quietly discussing what Ryan had found out.

"A drug?"

"Yeah, a nasty one. Used to extract information."

Graham shook his head. Torture was a bit beyond his pay grade. He'd just left Yaz and the Doctor with more water and cold cloths, trying to support them as best he could but knowing that right now, they just needed one another.

"They were using the Doc for information...I guess it makes sense, she's a walking encyclopaedia, but...how can she be so forgiving when there are people - things - like that out there?" Graham's voice was raised. This was their first encounter with a truly malicious race of aliens. His thoughts were interrupted by a commotion from the Doctor's room.

\----------

Yaz had almost nodded off when the hand in hers suddenly gripped tight. The Doctor's eyes were closed but her back was arching sharply off the bed, something Yaz had only ever seen her do when they were alone together. Naked.

This time, the connotations were not so fun to consider.

"Doctor? What's happening?"

The Doctor groaned.

"No. No, no, no, no," she mumbled, words slurring and increasing in volume, eyes screwed tightly shut, anguish and pain twisting her beautiful features into something unrecognisable.

"Come on, Doctor, you're safe here," Yaz said, starting to panic.

The Doctor thrashed on the bed, giving one last violent jerk before falling back to the mattress and exhaling slowly. Yaz waited for her to breathe in again.

She didn't.

Yaz leapt out of bed, shocked.

"What- no way. Doctor! This is not happening," she rambled, ear to the Doctor's mouth for the second time that day as she watched and listened for signs of life. This time, there were none.

"Ryan! Graham!" She practically screamed, not caring how hysterical she sounded.

They were there in a few seconds, obviously not having gone far.

"She's not breathing," Yaz cried, only then realising she was actually in tears. They blurred her vision but she could see panic in their faces, too.

Thankfully, Graham recovered quickly.

"Ryan, go see if there's any adrenaline in the medical bay. I'm sure she must have something like that. Yaz, you're going to help me get her breathing again, OK?"

Yaz nodded numbly. As if in a dream, she moved to the Doctor's head, tilting it back. Her jaw was slack and her lips - those wonderful, wonderful lips - had a blue tint to them. Yaz had never seen a dead body before and the idea made her slightly hysterical. She zoned out, and it was only when Graham nudged her, panting with exertion after a round of compressions, that she automatically bent over and sealed their lips together, breathing for the Doctor.

The action was so reminiscent of what they did on a daily basis that Yaz expected the Doctor to respond. Of course, she didn't. Graham continued to count aloud, helping Yaz keep on time, and a couple of minutes later, Ryan returned, clutching about six syringes in his fist.

"Gotta be one of these," he said, and Yaz held out her hand. He nearly tripped over his own feet in his hurry to hand them over.

Sure enough, the Doctor had a legitimate supply of actual, proper drugs. _Thank god_.

Yaz picked out the syringe they needed and wasted no time in uncapping the lid and jamming the needle into a vein. Ryan winced. Yaz hoped she hadn't overdone it, but two hearts probably meant twice the dose. Right?

"Come on, Doc, work with us," said Graham, starting to feel the burn in his arms. Yaz bent over again, waiting for the drug to work. There was no response.

"Don't you dare do this, not now," Yaz said. She sounded almost angry. Without a second thought she made a fist, trying to remember where the Doctor's hearts were - she'd listened to them enough times - and with a thud, brought her fist down on the right one.

Nothing.

"Doctor, did you hear me? You don't get to do this."

Another thud. Nothing.

"You're not bloody leaving me," she sobbed.

Yaz adjusted her aim, going for the left side this time.

"Give her some more," she said to Graham, nodding towards the remaining syringes.

Once the second dose was in, she watched the Doctor's face carefully. Whenever she'd seen this happen in films, people had come miraculously back to life. But then, this wasn't Pulp Fiction.

Yaz could feel her waning self-control start to disappear completely, gnawed away by sheer terror. She reached up and took the Doctor's unresponsive face into her hands. She loved touching this face, loved the grin she could elicit, the feel of the jawbone under her thumb. Now, it felt like stone. Soulless.

"You're not allowed to let go, Doctor. Not now that I've found you. Not after some stupid bastards did this to you."

She felt hot tears burning a path down her cheeks and leaned in, aware they had an audience. The Doctor's ear cuff glinted in the soft light of the room as Yaz spoke directly to her, and her alone.

"Not without me telling you how much I love you."

Graham turned away, unable to bear witness. Ryan was openly crying.

Yaz closed her eyes, aimed her fist one last time, and, without looking, brought it down onto the Doctor's chest.

Suddenly the Doctor inhaled, panicked, eyes struggling to open as she clutched at the sheets and tried to regain some semblance of normal breathing after several minutes without it.

Yaz couldn't believe it. Neither could Graham or Ryan, who cheered in utter relief and slapped Yaz on the back.

"Yaz, mate, that was awesome," said Ryan, still crying, and Graham pulled her in for a hug.

"I can't believe that worked," she breathed, unable to tear her eyes away from the Doctor.

To her credit, the Doctor was working hard on processing the latest events.

"What..." she wheezed, clutching at her chest.

Yaz winced.

"I'll explain later, I promise." She sank onto the bed and took hold of the hand over her hearts, her gloriously beating hearts, and kissed the back of it. The Doctor smiled weakly up at Yaz, and it was the best thing Yaz had ever seen.

"Welcome back," Yaz beamed, in tears, overjoyed and unable to stop herself from kissing the Doctor's lips, which were still cold but were just about able to respond, this time.

"And never do that again, I don't think I could take it."


	6. Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to bump up the rating for this here chapter.

"You know, for a doctor, you really do make the worst patient," sighed Yaz, screwing shut the lid of the healing cream.

"Yeah, well, normally a nap solves all of my problems," the Doctor pouted, reaching up to touch the bruise on her temple. Yaz swatted her hand away.

"No touching!"

"Yes, nurse Khan," the Doctor grumbled, unable to resist a smile at the look on her girlfriend's face.

Yaz rolled her eyes. "Don't even go there."

The Doctor reached for her hand, kissing her fingertips.

"Well, you definitely have healing powers," she murmured, looking Yaz straight in the eye and very much enjoying the blush she got in return.

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to, Doctor. You need to rest before you even consider getting out of this bed."

"But I don't need to leave it to do what I'd like to do with you, Yaz."

Yaz didn't think it was possible to get any redder but her body decided to prove her wrong. She could feel the very tips of her ears burning.

"Doctor!" She admonished. Secretly, she would have loved to continue this line of conversation, but she also knew that the Doctor was trying to gloss over what had happened mere hours ago. The thought made her somber.

"How are you feeling?" Yaz completely changed the conversation and the Doctor, thankfully, let her.

"Honestly? I have no idea."

Yaz wasn't expecting such a blunt response. It turned out that dying had the silver lining of resetting the Doctor's brain chemistry, flushing the hallucinogen out of her system completely. That, and the TARDIS had helped them find a drug that knocked the Doctor out for a few hours to help speed up the process. Yaz had been so relieved when she'd woken up like her old self.

"You were pretty out of it," she conceded, "and you kept saying all these names..."

The Doctor nodded. "Echoes of my past. Ryan showed me the TARDIS analysis. Nasty piece of kit, that. I'm in two minds to destroy it, but I've never come across anything like it before."

Yaz stayed quiet. The Doctor hadn't gone down the route she wanted to discuss most, and both of them knew it. She took pity when the haunted look returned to the Doctor's eyes and she continued to speak.

"Those names...those people? They all travelled with me, Yaz. They all helped me help others and I couldn't help them in return. They all met fates that-" she stopped, suddenly, placing a hand over her hearts. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"Doctor?" Yaz frowned in concern. Her hearts had only just got back to normal rhythm, according to the sonic scan. "Take it easy," she soothed, urging the Doctor downwards with a hand on her shoulder.

"It's ok, I need to explain."

Yaz desperately wanted to say no, that no explanation was needed, but the topic was like an elephant in the room. After a few moments, the Doctor pulled Yaz down next to her so they could lie facing each other. She reached for Yaz's hands and held them as she told her all about her companions, every single one, how brilliant and bright and selfless they had been. How selfish she had been, asking them to travel with her.

"But...Doctor, don't you remember? You never asked us to come with you," Yaz said earnestly. "You dropped us home and I invited you for tea, and then those spiders were all over Sheffield, remember them?" She shuddered for effect and the Doctor laughed lightly.

"How could I forget? Your mum asked if we were seeing each other and I had no idea what she meant."

Yaz laughed. "Never the most subtle person, my mum," she said. "But...even then, I knew I wanted to stay with you, Doctor. I just didn't realise quite how badly I wanted it at the time. There was no way I could leave after that." They locked eyes for a long moment, until Yaz started to feel slightly uncomfortable under the intense scrutiny. At least the Doctor could actually see her, now.

She must have said something to that effect because the Doctor was speaking again.

"I'll always see you, Yaz. I'll always hear you, too," she murmured, squeezing Yaz's hands for courage. Yaz wasn't sure if she was referring to the fact that she seemed to be haunted by her past companions, or if she was reading too much into the statement. Eventually, the Doctor continued.

"When I was...you know..."

"Dead?" Yaz supplied, helpfully.

"Yeah...that. Although now I'm not so sure I was, you know, because I really could still hear you," the Doctor said, biting her lip.

"I dunno, you put on a pretty convincing show," Yaz said, trying to lighten the situation and suddenly knowing exactly where this was going. She had been painfully honest as she pleaded with the Doctor to come back to them. Butterflies took flight in her stomach as she tried to stay brave.

"I love a lot of things, Yaz. A lot of things," the Doctor stated, squeezing her hands for emphasis, and Yaz recalled all of the times the Doctor expressed enthusiasm for the universe and everything in it. It was a daily occurrence and could be prompted by something as simple as a decent cup of tea. She stayed quiet, waiting for the Doctor to finish speaking, hesitant to disrupt her train of thought.

"But they all pale compared to you." Yaz could only watch in awe as the Doctor moved closer.

"You, Yasmin Khan, I love most of all."

Yaz exhaled suddenly, not even realising she'd held her breath. Relief flooded through her veins and a grin spread across her face.

"Yeah?" She whispered, wanting to pinch herself but reaching up to place a hand on the Doctor's cheek instead. She was no longer feverish and seemed in her right mind, so Yaz had to believe it was true.

"Yeah," the Doctor beamed, as she finally closed the distance between their lips.

\----------

As soon as she was able - or rather, as soon as Yaz would let her - the Doctor insisted on piloting the TARDIS back to Sheffield. With the Doctor back to normal, Ryan and Graham were keen to go home and recover from the events of the past few days. Yaz waved them off from the doors of the TARDIS, planning to pop home for dinner with her family that evening, but also eager to take advantage of the Doctor's undivided attention for a few hours. She wanted nothing more than to feel the Doctor's body come alive under her hands, to cement the fact that she was alive and breathing.

The woman in question was fiddling with some controls, watching the readings on a screen, when Yaz came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her stomach. She relaxed into the touch, more than happy to be distracted from her task.

"Now that you're back to full strength, Doctor, what do you say we test your reflexes?" Yaz said, in a tone that made the Doctor's legs turn to jelly. She placed her hands over Yaz's, tilting her head back as Yaz started to kiss the side of her neck.

"Not fair," she gasped, as she felt Yaz smile against the sensitive skin. "You know that always gets me going."

"Hold on, then," said Yaz, moving their hands to the console in front of them. Satisfied the Doctor's hands were out of the way, she moved her own towards the front of her trousers, running a palm across the Doctor's shirt-covered stomach. The Doctor inhaled sharply at the touch.

"All looking good, so far," Yaz said, nudging the Doctor's legs wider apart as she felt blindly for the button of her trousers, slipping a hand inside. Her other hand reached up to cup her breast, feeling the nipple harden instantly under her palm as the Doctor arched backwards.

"And you're definitely responding how you should," she said, feeling slick heat under her other, questing fingertips. She positively revelled in the fact that she could prompt such a response.

"Yaz," the Doctor gasped. She started to feel warm, her blood pressure shot up, and a coil of pleasure unfurled in her abdomen as she processed Yaz's words and intimate touches.

"How does this feel?" Yaz continued to tease the other woman, rubbing slow circles within the confines of her trousers.

"That feels...wonderful," the Doctor hissed, her breathing increasing in response to the stimulation. Yaz was very, very good at pushing her buttons.

"Think you can stand for this, Doctor?" Yaz teased, although she was also genuinely asking. Her body had been through a lot in a short space of time.

The Doctor nodded shakily, and her arms tensed as she responded to Yaz's clever fingers. She moaned as Yaz started making tighter circles around her clit, picking up the pace once she knew the Doctor was stable. The Doctor could hear their breaths echoing around the room, and she let out a cry as Yaz passed directly over the bundle of nerves, shuddering in pleasure.

Even after several months in this body, the feeling was so intense and so novel that Yaz knew she had to be careful not to overdo it.

"I love it when you make that noise," Yaz murmured, rubbing her fingers that way again before returning to their original pattern. Her other hand continued to massage the Doctor's breast through her shirts.

"Oh," the Doctor moaned, "well, I love when you do that."

The use of the L-word in this context was new and Yaz felt a thrill when she heard it. She continued her ministrations, enjoying the feel of the Doctor's back pushing against her as her legs started to tremble slightly. She knew the other woman was close by the way she was breathing, trying not to cry out and failing miserably. The Doctor really was a passionate person and Yaz loved bringing out that response in her.

"I'm so close," the Doctor moaned, eyes shut tightly in pleasure, and Yaz picked up the pace even more, her wrist burning with the awkward angle as she pushed and rubbed, harder and faster. Even though her fingers moved out of sight, Yaz could hear the muffled sounds they made between the Doctor's legs as they slid over the slick, heated skin, again and again. Her fingers felt like they were absolutely coated and she wished she could taste them, but that would have to wait.

"Come for me, love," she panted, her fingers moving faster and more directly over the nerves that were bringing the other woman such pleasure. It was a calculated move, one she knew would push the Doctor over the edge.

"Just keep doing - that-" the Doctor groaned, her hips moving slightly as she encouraged the motion. She gasped, her legs starting to tremble as the wave approached, threatening to completely overwhelm her. It always seemed to when Yaz was involved.

"That's it, let it come," Yaz encouraged, pulling the Doctor closer to her with her free hand as she felt her body stiffen. The Doctor cried out, and Yaz kept moving gently as she helped her through it. All of a sudden, the tension released and the body in her arms felt ten times heavier.

"Whoah," she said, quickly pulling her hand out of the Doctor's trousers as she helped guide her to the floor.

"Sorry, Yaz," the Doctor gasped, slumping to sit on the floor and essentially pulling Yaz with her.

"No need to apologise," said Yaz, also panting slightly with exertion. The Doctor blew her hair out of her face, cheeks rosy and flushed with pleasure. Suddenly, she laughed, and the sound brought genuine joy to Yaz.

"Well, Doctor, you passed with flying colours," she grinned, leaning over to kiss the Doctor at last, missing the connection.

"I never fail, me," said the Doctor, her facade of confidence making Yaz chuckle. "Not with you around."

Yaz ducked her head, measuring the weight of her words. She couldn't help but think of what the Doctor had said about her previous companions. How they had helped the Doctor and how their time together had come to an end.

"Doctor?" She asked, suddenly sad.

The Doctor mmediately picked up on Yaz's tone.

"I've said something silly, haven't I?" She groaned, covering her eyes with a palm.

"No, it's not that," Yaz said, rushing to reassure her. "It's just...I don't ever want this to end."

The Doctor removed her hand from her eyes, confused.

"It doesn't have to," she said, "at least, not if you don't want it to?" She looked concerned, Yaz thought, guiltily. She shook her head, and the Doctor, seemingly relieved, continued to think aloud.

"You were right, by the way, and you should make a mental note of that because I am rarely wrong, but you chose to come with me. You are my equal, not just my companion."

"But-"

"We're in this together," interrupted the Doctor, reaching for Yaz's hand and giving it a squeeze. "That means I need to listen to you above all else. Whatever happens, please know that I respect you more than anything, Yaz. Plus, you really are very wise for your age, did you know that? I should listen to you more often."

Yaz nodded, slightly overwhelmed.

"That's enough talking," said the Doctor, wary that she was bombarding her girlfriend with too many thoughts and feelings. Yaz perked up, watching with interest as the Doctor moved closer, finally sitting astride Yaz's legs. 

"Since we're equals and all, I think it's time we level the playing field," she murmured, moving to divest Yaz of her shirt as she kissed her deeply. Her hearts sang as Yaz assented.

There was no talking for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fin.
> 
> Wow, that was hard. I don't think I've written something that dark for a long time. Thank you for bearing with me and for all the support, particularly your lovely comments! They kept me going. 
> 
> Let me know if you have any ideas for what you would like to see, I'm open to prompts!


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